Bhubaneswar: At a time when the world celebrates the International Women`s Day, hundreds of women from Odisha`s Govindpur and Dhinkia villages are locked up in a bitter battle with the state government over the acquisition of land for the Posco Steel project.

Reports, Friday, claimed that a large number of women from all age group yesterday clashed with police and some stripped partially protesting the acquisition of land for the controversial Posco steel project.

These women, who were caned by the cops on duty, have also threatened toi intensify their stir and strip en masse if the government fails to stop acquiring land for the project.

These women anti-Posco protesters have also demanded the urgent withdrawal of police from their area.

These women protesters want the government to immediately withdraw five platoons of police still deployed at the site of the proposed mega project in Jagatsinghpur district.

The fresh agitation against the Posco project began four days after the state government resumed the process of acquiring land, which involves clearing betel plantations in the villages.
What further sparked the protest was the tragic killing of three anti-Posco protesters in a bomb attack. The anti-Posco activists have alleged that supporters of the Posco plant were behind the attack.

The women who clashed with the police belong to the Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti ( PPSS ), which has spearheaded the anti-Posco agitation for the last eight years.

The organization has warned that hundreds of them would strip if their demands are not met.
Posco is a South Korean company that proposes to set up a 12-million-tonne-per-annum steel plant near the port town of Paradip in Odisha. It is the largest foreign investment in India.

The state government has acquired about 2,000 acres of land in the region in 2011 and needs to acquire another 700 acres, mostly in Govindpur area, for the project.

The government, on its part, claims that the villagers have given their consent for giving the land required for the project. However, the villagers deny this.